The Body of Christ (Part 2)

Dennis McCallum

Acts 2:44-47

Following Pentecost and the arrival of the Holy Spirit's permanent indwelling of believers, we see the dynamic Body of Christ at work. The early church was dynamic for several reasons, including: 1) generosity and sacrificing for others needs; 2) having a corporate unity of heart and mind; 3) interacting in both small and large groups, where large groups were dynamic and exciting and small groups allowed for deep intimacy and relational involvement; 4) authentic community that was sincere about the time spent with one another; 5) active gratitude, praising God regularly; 6) integrated with the culture around them; and 7) outreaching to others with the message of Jesus' forgiveness. These qualities have disappeared throughout the majority of the Western Church because of materialism and different priorities. This type of ethos within the church is powerful in demonstrating God's power and love to others.

Affluent Christians and Their Poor Neighbors

Dennis McCallum

James 2:5

The Chrisitan worldview is one of the few worldviews that elevates the poor out of a social structure that says they are a burden or unwanted. We all are fellow heirs to the kingdom with equal status in our standing with God to those who have redemption in Christ. Are we grateful to God to be in the position to have a positive impact and meet the needs of the poor in the world? Or do we go through our busy lives of excess and forget about the great commission?

What Can We Do?

Dennis McCallum

2 Corinthians 8

What can we do when the face of poverty is visible all around us? There are many people who barely have enough to eat and little means to turn their lives around. Giving 5 dollars to the person with a sign on the corner is just hardening our heart to the poor so we don't have to think deeper on why they are there. Jesus encourages us to treat our neighbors as the Good Samaritan does; give from the heart and from what we have. We can also financially support the initiatives of groups trying to defeat the causes of poverty.

The Rich and the Poor

Dennis McCallum

Proverbs 14:21

There is a vast inequality between the poor and wealthy in the world today. Looking at other countries it's easy to see how we in the United States live in a state of surplus and luxury. God calls on us to support and care for the poor of the world. How often do we simply give out change and think nothing of it a moment later? Jesus calls us to care for those in real need and to give sacrificially so our heart can shift from supplying our needs to the needs of others. \r\n

Being a "Doer": Inclusiveness and Compassion

Dennis McCallum

1 Corinthians 1:26-29

When we are not taking our identity from God we create an arbitrary identity through distinctions and setting our identity based on that. James implores us to love others as ourselves, and not show partiality based on distinctions we make in our minds. Being a doer of the Word means going out of our way to love those different than ourselves.

Solomon Sliding

Dennis McCallum

1 Corinthians 10:12

God did His part for Solomon in what He promised him. He gave him wisdom and wealth, but Solomon got distracted by the gift and forgot about who gave it to him. In his heart, he moved away from a life of serving God to a life of self-gratification. Solomon led his life chasing after things that had no end, there was always more to have, and he was never happy or grateful for what he had. But for us today no matter how far we drift away from God's will for our lives, we are able to come back to His presence under His grace through Jesus.

Paul's View of Ministry

Dennis McCallum

Romans 15:1-33

Paul's view of ministry starts with others-centeredness. The new form of worshipping God in the New Testament is ministry. This means caring for the whole person, not just in easy ways but speaking a word of admonition when necessary as well. When it comes to evangelism or missionary work, our post-modern culture deplores these practices, viewing them as forms of imposing Christian culture on others. Instead, evangelism and missionary work is not about changing another's culture but sharing the truth of God's love with others.

Cages of Affluence

Jim Leffel

Jeremiah 5:27-28

Greed and generosity are contrasted by using an analogy of birds in a cage. Being locked in slavery distorts reality and makes it difficult to distinguish wants from needs. Freedom gives clarity, contentment, and relational wealth. Greed is ingrained in our culture; we need to fight against it for ourselves and our children.\r\n

More Ministry Principles from Paul?s Life

Ryan Lowery

Acts 18:1-18

In the ancient world, Corinth was a city known for immorality. As Paul goes there to preach the gospel, there are several lessons that we can learn: 1) Paul paid his own way to avoid accusation; 2) some people will be offended at the message; 3) many will respond to the message; 4) even Paul had great fear; and 5) you never know who will respond. Those that are willing to tell others about Christ will experience the same adventure that Paul did, and will see that God is just as active today as he was in the early church.